


In the Castle

by muppet8003



Category: Plague Tale: Innocence (Video Game)
Genre: Explicit Language, Headcanon, Vignette
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-24 23:24:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19733785
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/muppet8003/pseuds/muppet8003
Summary: A vignette series set during the two time jumps while the gang was living at the abandoned castle, some dark, some sweet and fluffy, some a little bit of both.





	1. Stubborn Door

“C’mon, open!” SLAM!! “Dammit!” 

Lucas looked up from his makeshift laboratory as the sound Rodrick hard at work echoed down the stairs. The alchemist in training shrugged and turned back to his concoctions, moving to drip the next ingredient into his new potion. “Okay, Lucas, carefully now.”

“You fucker!” SLAM!! “You fuck!”

Lucas flinched, pouring over half the bottle into his unfinished work and watched in horror as it violently reacted. “Oh no...Oh no!”

The alchemical prodigy dove under his table a mere moment before his experiment violently exploded. He scrambled to his feet as a green cloud descended around him and fled up the stairs to escape the toxic gas.

After taking a few moments to catch his breath and mourn his lost work, Lucas looked up the stairs where still more yelling and cursing could be heard. He shrugged in resignation and ascended the rest of the way up the stairs. Arriving at the top of the stairs, Lucas was met with the sight of three of his friends looking on at Rodrick’s latest episode. Amicia had her hands cupped firmly over Hugo’s ears while Melie stood by with arms folded, a look on her face like she couldn’t decide if she was watching something sad or hilarious.

Lucas stepped onto the battlements and followed his friends’ gaze to see Rodrick with hands on knees catching his breath. Next to him was a sturdy wooden door with fresh dents. “God damn, that door is a whore.” 

“Rodrick, just let it go,” Amicia appealed to the blacksmith’s son.

“No,” Rodrick said, stubbornly turning back to this new nemesis. “I”m going,” BAM!! “To get,” SLAM!! “This fuckin’ door,” CRASH!! “Open!”

“How long has this been going on?” Lucas cautiously asked

“Quite awhile,” Melie answered

“...could it be locked?”

“Naw, I already picked the lock,” Melie explained, turning to the little alchemist, “We just can’t get it to open.”

Though hesitant, Lucas approached the irritable blacksmith as the teen pushed against the door with all his considerable might. Lucas cleared his throat. “Uh, Rodrick...?”

The angrily huffing team acknowledged him with a look. “...Can I try something?”

The older boy seemed to mull it over for a bit, then stepped aside, gesturing for his younger friend to go ahead.

Lucas then pulled the door open.


	2. Shoe Shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the way home from foraging with Lucas, Amicia stops to get a gift for Melie.

Amicia and Lucas made their way back toward the group’s castle, loaded with apples and a few squirrels Amicia had hunted with her sling. The two friends marched in comfortable silence, content for the first time in seemingly years. The group’s preparations for the fast approaching winter had gone fairly well and it’d even been nearly a week since they’d seen hide or hair of the Inquisition.

As such, it possibly inevitable that the pair rounded a corner to see an Inquisition banner. They hastily crouched down behind a tree, Amicia protectively putting her arm around Lucas. She cautiously looked around the tree to find three wagons; a small one in front that several Inquisition soldiers were climbing out off it and two larger ones that seemed to have a few limp, grey limbs hanging out the sides.

“Hurry up, we’ve got to dump these bodies before the sun goes down,” an Inquisition sergeant called to his men, “The Rats will be out soon.”

The two young fugitives watched as the men unceremoniously threw the bodies of plague victims into a ditch just off the side of the road. 

“I’m not dead.” one man feebly begged

“I miss the part where that’s our problem.” a soldier replied as he tossed the dying man into the ditch beside the bodies of his friends and family.

At last the soldiers’ job was done and they hastily took off down the road. Seeing that the way was now clear, Lucas turned to his friend. “We have to hurry, there’s not much time before sundown.”

“Wait,” Amicia said, moving toward the ditch and looking over the bodies, “They’re all still fully clothed.”

“Amicia?” a worried Lucas asked.

“Keep an eye out, Lucas,” Amicia ordered and gingerly made her way into the ditch full of bodies.

“What are you doing?!”

“The first snow will be here in a week at most and Melie doesn’t have shoes,” Amicia explained, “There’s probably a girl about her size in here somewhere.”

“...you’re going to take shoes off a corpse?” an aghast Lucas exclaimed.

“They don’t care,” Amicia said, gesturing to the bodies, “But Melie will lose her toes if she has to go through the winter barefoot. Now just keep watch.”

Lucas was still clearly unhappy, but diligently went to lookout for the Inquisition, or anyone else, nonetheless. Seeing this, Amicia went about her search. She stepped over and around the bodies whenever possible as she scanned for a girl the right age and size. She finally spotted a deceased young woman who fit the bill and went to work. The dead girl’s rigor mortis made it difficult, but Amicia was finally able to yank both shoes free. Amicia tucked the socks into the pilfered shoes and was about to call out to Lucas when she caught a glimpse of the body and froze.

All the pulling and tugging had shifted the dead girl’s body and her flat, dead eyes now seemed to be looking at Amicia. For the first time, the noble girl took a good look at the body, she was wearing well made dress and there where flowers in her hair. Like the ones Hugo would tuck behind Amicia’s ear.

“I’m sorry, but my friend needs these more then you.” Amicia said to the dead girl, shifting guiltily despite herself. “You...you look like you were a nice girl, I’m sure you would understand.”

“Amicia, the sun’s setting, we have to go!” Lucas called.

“I’m coming” Amicia called back. She gave the dead girl one last apologetic look and hastily made her way out of the ditch.


	3. Siblings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arthur and Amicia bond over the hardships of having a sibling.

Arthur was in a good mood. The thief had snuck into a nobleman’s abandoned summer home and returned to the castle with his pockets loaded with slightly stale but nonetheless fine food. The prize, however, was a bottle of wine the former battlefield looter fully intended to partake in the red brew.

The young thief had just worked the cork out with his knife when a displeased looking Amicia made her way into the group’s common room. Arthur briefly considered just minding his own business but ultimately cleared his throat and asked. “Trouble, Amicia?”

“Had some trouble with Hugo,” Amicia explained with a sigh. “I swear, I love him, but sometimes...I just want to...”

“Strangle him?” Arthur helpfully finished. The former noble girl nodded guiltily, “Don’t worry, I’ve had the same thought about Melie many times. Part of being an older sibling, I guess.”

“Aren’t you two twins?”

“Well...yes, but I was born a few minutes earlier,” Arthur explained, allowing himself a cocky grin, “Thus, I’m older.”

Amicia chuckled. “I guess it’s not as bad as before we found this place. I’d literally be trying to figure out a way to keep us from being killed and Hugo would start whining and I’d have to get stern with him. Then he’d get all upset and somehow I end up feeling like the bad guy when I’m just trying to protect him.”

Arthur nodded empathetically. “Sometimes it feels like Melie is dedicated to arguing with me about everything. She’ll dig in her heels on one point one day, then fight just as hard for the opposite another.”

Like whether to stay with you guys or not. The young thief thought, but held his tongue.

“Guess we have to do our best,” Amicia said with a resigned shrug, “After all, they’re worth it in the end.”

Arthur mulled the girl’s words over for a moment and nodded, “You know what, I’ll drink to that.”

The looter filled two goblets with the pilfered wine and offered one to Amicia. They clicked their cups together and both downed their drink in one gulp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a little weird to write since, as the baby of the family, I was probably the subject of at least one talk like this. Arthur doesn't get much time to shine, though toward the end he seemed to be on pretty good terms with Amicia, so I thought I'd write a quick little something with them bonding.


End file.
